Oasis is a unique and dynamic arts and education program located in Philadelphia. We offer a diverse selection of classes, workshops, events, exhibitions and much more to marginalized adults and children in our community and especially those living with mental illness and retardation. Through creative interaction our students are empowered to realize their creative potential, improve their quality of life, gain life-skills and re-identify with and reintegrate into their community. We aim to teach, help and inspire!
Our art workshops are open to the public and work towards goals of inclusion and integration. Oasis’ art program includes a gallery of regularly changing artwork from our students as well as other community members. We also exhibit student work though outside venues.
Oasis instructors work with students both at their residences as outreach and in our studio at 21 South 12th Street. Our studio, offices and gallery are located right in center city and we look forward to being housed and operated out of a beautifully renovated building which we will share with several other community programs including the Asian Arts Initiative, studios for the Mural Arts Program and the Philadelphia Dance Cooperative among others at 1219 Vine Street. We are a program of Resources for Human Development.
Call us for an appointment to visit or for more information on classes and workshops and art events. We are happy to talk and eager to meet you.
2008 ARTIST IN RESIDENCIES
Both of the following Residencies were completed in 2008 and will be on exhibition at the Asian Arts Initiative at 1219 Vine St. from Feb.6, 2009 – March 16 2009 with an opening reception on Friday Feb. 6 from 5:30-7:30pm.
Deborah Caiola
Reflecting on the connection or lack thereof between art and mental illness, Ms. Caiola’s residency is a collaboration between herself and a group of 10 talented local artists, with varying degrees of experience with mental illness. Ms. Caiola’s personal work is strongly focused on biographical storytelling and the anthropological study of particular segments within our society. Through a series of individual interviews conducted by the group as a whole (on view are also edited portions of the interviews) and many hours of sketching, an unusually intense group dynamic formed which lent itself to the intimate portraiture of each group member by another member of the group. Ms. Caiola structured and orchestrated the concept of this residency in accordance to themes existing within her own work and then became a participant as well in the project. The results are compelling and intensely personal stories which take on a group voice and address the marginalization of those labeled “mentally ill” and the impact the illness may or may not have on individual creativity. The resulting body of work titled PORTRAITS IN EMOTION is a series of portraits and small accompanying paintings by all group members as well as portions of interviews.
Elisabeth Nickles
SELF AS ANIMAL is the title and theme of the body of work completed during the residency with accomplished Philadelphia artist Elisabeth Nickles and a group of 6 Oasis students. Ms. Nickles worked for a period of six weeks together with 6 individuals all of whom have art experience and mental retardation. This residency sought to encourage participants to represent their “animal selves” through clay. A larger outcome of this residency was the personal growth this residence artist experienced through this period of interaction and teaching with a group of individuals whose thinking and creativity were outside of her personal reference. The resulting body of work is sculptures and drawings of participants as well as Ms. Nickles’ sculptural representation of each of the participant’s animal selves.